Be The Change For Petstag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-866789837371860592013-12-17T06:00:00-07:00BlogPaws is the online pet community's resource for networking, learning, fun, and changing the world for pets! Home of the Be the Change for Pets movement.TypePad#BlogPaws Is Celebrating Giving Month tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a0120a678c547970b019b0301a8db970c2013-12-17T06:00:00-07:002013-12-15T08:21:28-07:00Post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess What does giving mean to you? Presents under a tree? Donations to a favorite charity? Saving a pet from life in a shelter or life on the streets? When we, at BlogPaws, think of Giving Month our mind automatically turns to "how can we...BlogPaws Team

What does giving mean to you? Presents under a tree? Donations to a favorite charity? Saving a pet from life in a shelter or life on the streets? When we, at BlogPaws, think of Giving Month our mind automatically turns to "how can we give back to animals in need?" Whether it's a pot bellied pig, a guinea pig, puppy, kitten or senior pet, there is a constant need to help those animals that are in shelters or are being taken care of by rescue groups.

You can't obviously take in every pet in need (I have four cats in my house right now because each of them were in need of adoption and I just couldn't say no -- we've had up to six cats and two dogs at one time... it's a lot of work and expense) but what if you make a resolution to help at least one animal in need? How can you do that?

There are many ways to get involved and help make a difference in the life of a shelter pet or a pet in a rescue and here are our tips:

I've written on #BlogPaws about virtual pet adoption. What this means to me is that you reach out to a shelter or rescue and offer to provide funds or blankets or to come and walk or otherwise care for an animal they have there. You may not have room in your home for an additional pet, but if you have time in your week you can spend time with a pet and give him some much-needed socialization. Send funds to care for a particular animal so you feel you are truly making a difference at least in the life of that one pet who is waiting for a forever home.

Do you have skills with a camera? Offer to photograph the pets and put their photos on Instagram or Pinterest or your other social media pages to help them get adopted. A pet who is out of doors or in a funny pose will have a better chance of getting adopted than one who is simply photographed through the bars of his cage.

Speaking of social media. If you have the time and the skills and if you find that your shelter doesn't have a robust (or any) social media presence, offer to become their social media manager. Post information about pets, upcoming adoption events, success stories of pets finding new homes, photos and information about new pets coming into the shelter and even photos of the volunteers and staff who give so much time and effort to these pets in need.

Call a shelter or rescue and ask what's on its wish list. Do they need kitty litter? Additional dog or cat food? Blankets for the crates? Cleaning supplies? Rather than donating cash (although they all need that!) shop for some of the items on the wish list and deliver them to the shelter.

Offer to host a fundraiser or coordinate a food drive or other event that the shelter feels will benefit the pets and its cash flow. If you have the skills of organization and enjoy fundraising this might be a natural fit!

What can you do to give back to a shelter during Giving Month and throughout the year?

Iams' #ShakeItForward Campaign Benefits Shelter Petstag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a0120a678c547970b019b02513f27970b2013-12-07T11:43:46-07:002013-12-07T11:43:46-07:00Post by Robbi Hess, BlogPaws Blog Manager There are two things that I know I can embrace with both arms -- funny pet videos and a pet food company like IAMS and its #ShakeItForward Campaign. This campaign kicked off with a goal that IAMS would donate 250,000 bowls of food...BlogPaws Team

There are two things that I know I can embrace with both arms -- funny pet videos and a pet food company like IAMS and its #ShakeItForward Campaign. This campaign kicked off with a goal that IAMS would donate 250,000 bowls of food to pets in animal shelters across the country.

That goal was met and exceeded and IAMS upped the campaign to 500,000 bowls of food to shelter pets. A half a million bowls of food being donated to dogs and cats in need! Incredible.

IAMS Shakeables has also teamed up with Andrew Grantham to provide fans of hilarious pet videos a treat as well! Every time the video is viewed and every time the hashtag #ShakeItForward is shared on social media platforms, the donations will continue!

Until this campaign, I never stopped to think about where the next meal might be coming from for a pet in a shelter. It's a frightening thing to think about -- pets already in a shelter, who are looking for forever homes, may not have full bellies. Shelters across the country struggle to feed and care for the animals that are dropped off or surrendered. Let's help them by viewing this video and sharing the #ShakeItForward hashtag.

Even if you can't adopt a pet, don't forget your cash donations (no matter how small) or bags of food, or blankets or litter make a difference in the lives of the shelter pets and for those dedicated individuals who care for them.

Watch the video, share the hashtag, donate to your local shelter! Let's make it a great holiday for everyone!

Actress Torrey DeVitto Promotes Shelter Adoption tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a0120a678c547970b019b0220ce33970d2013-12-04T07:02:40-07:002013-12-04T07:02:40-07:00“He literally just melts in your arms when you pick him up…I always tell friends who are interested in getting a pet that they should adopt.” —Torrey DeVitto of Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars The fourth annual Celebrate Shelter Pets Day kicked off with the final installment in the...BlogPaws Team

“He literally just melts in your arms when you pick him up…I always tell friends who are interested in getting a pet that they should adopt.” —Torrey DeVitto of Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars

The fourth annual Celebrate Shelter Pets Day kicked off with the final installment in the "Meet My Shelter Pet” online video series. The video features actress Torrey DeVitto of Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars with her dog, Beau. After adopting her dog from a shelter, Torrey said, “I think that adoption is the only way to go.”

Watch the video and see why shelter pets are so deserving of your love (and of being g adoped!)

Information about the program: Produced by the The Humane Society of the United States, Maddie’s Fund, and Ad Council, in partnership with Halo Pet Foundation, the video is an extension of our larger Shelter Pet Adoption campaign, which aims to change people’s perceptions of shelter animals, and ultimately increase adoptions across the country. Since the campaign was launched in 2009, the percentage of dogs and cats who were adopted from shelters has risen from 27 to 29 percent. Euthanasia of shelter pets is also down 10 percent. Sadly though, we still have work to do. Approximately 2.7 million healthy and treatable pets still lose their lives in shelters each year.

Click here watch our other videos from the “Meet My Shelter Pet” series, including one from Late Night with David Letterman band leader Paul Shaffer. You can find more details about the campaign at TheShelterPetProject.org.

What can you do to make a difference in the life of a shelter pet? We'd love to know!

#Thankful For Funny Lion Videotag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a0120a678c547970b019b01bc729d970c2013-11-28T05:30:00-07:002013-11-28T05:30:00-07:00Today as we spend time with our family, friends and fur-babies, we wanted to share this amusing lion video. Happy Thanksgiving! You can watch the video here. (the photo is a video screen shot)BlogPaws Team

Today as we spend time with our family, friends and fur-babies, we wanted to share this amusing lion video.

Puppy Saved From Drainpipe In Texastag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a0120a678c547970b019b01bcc1a1970b2013-11-27T09:50:11-07:002013-11-27T09:50:11-07:00This is an amazing story of people coming together to rescue a puppy who had fallen into a storm drain. They heard his cries and one neighbor started placing food by the pipe in an effort to lure him out. Dallas Animal Services was contacted and tried to rescue him....BlogPaws Team

This is an amazing story of people coming together to rescue a puppy who had fallen into a storm drain. They heard his cries and one neighbor started placing food by the pipe in an effort to lure him out. Dallas Animal Services was contacted and tried to rescue him. Their first efforts weren't fruitful but once the neighbors said they heard the puppy again, Animal Services came back and he was rescued.

Leadership For Social Change Includes Animal Rescuetag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a0120a678c547970b019b013def73970b2013-11-19T05:30:00-07:002013-11-17T09:59:22-07:00Guest post by Robin Bisha, Ph.D. Students in my leadership courses often arrive convinced they already know what it means to be a leader. Their version of the quintessential leader generally looks a lot like Special Agent Jethro Gibbs from NCIS, smarter and more commanding than everyone else. These students...BlogPaws Team

Students in my leadership courses often arrive convinced they already know what it means to be a leader. Their version of the quintessential leader generally looks a lot like Special Agent Jethro Gibbs from NCIS, smarter and more commanding than everyone else. These students believe they are leaders, and they have trouble opening their minds to consider the possibility that leadership might consist of a set of skills anyone can learn.

Who better to help me open my students’ minds and hearts to leadership skills than rescue dogs?

Now that I ask students in my course, “Leadership for Social Change,” to spend the first six weeks of class training rescue dogs, they confront a leadership situation few have experienced before. They ask themselves: how can I influence this being who doesn’t understand English, and doesn’t even know his name, to do what I want him to?

They have no pre-set fallback answer to this question and are motivated to listen to our volunteer trainer, Hepzibah Hoffman-Rogers, who teaches positive reinforcement training, also known as clicker training. The students are also motivated to seek answers in Karen Pryor’s, Don’t Shoot the Dog (one of two textbooks for the course).

All the students are unsettled just enough from their beliefs about leaders to consider another way of looking at leadership. We surround them with resources to help them begin to understand the power of positive reinforcement. The students learn the habits of desired behavior – click – treat in training class with the dogs. They begin to apply the concept to influencing other humans through reading Pryor’s book, which looks at major concepts in learning theory as applied to a wide variety of mammals, including human beings. They even begin to “click” me and each other for desired behaviors.

Through the course in positive reinforcement training, the students learn about their strengths and weaknesses; generally patience falls in one of the categories. They begin to experiment with reinforcing behavior they like in their residence halls, student organizations and group projects.

Through regular interaction with rescue dogs, they also open their hearts to engagement in the community. They are generally more relaxed and willing to open up in class than my other groups. They celebrate their contribution to turning out-of-control or frightened dogs into highly adoptable, proud dogs.

They call the course, “Puppy Class,” and teach positive training to their families and dogs at home. All of the spaces in the class fill up on the first day of registration. Some students master skills of leadership and move on to causes that are of more central importance to them, but a lot of them continue rescuing dogs.

Pictured are: Hepzibah Hoffman-Rogers teaching one of the students at Asylum Rescue. Asylum Rescue is in Seguin, Texas. It's located at a bed and breakfast! Also pictured: Robin with a friend's dog, Phillippe)

The Power Of One For Pets In The Philippinestag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a0120a678c547970b019b01262fc9970d2013-11-15T14:50:38-07:002013-11-15T14:50:38-07:00The Blogger Disaster Relief Network has been activated once again as pet lovers from around the world band together to assist the pets impacted by the typhoon in the Philippines. We're working with World Vets to help promoteThe Power Of One and as it shows how one act of love...BlogPaws Team

The Blogger Disaster Relief Network has been activated once again as pet lovers from around the world band together to assist the pets impacted by the typhoon in the Philippines.

We're working with World Vets to help promoteThe Power Of One and as it shows how one act of love or one donation can help pets in need. World Vets is providing veterinary supplies, financial support and on the ground teams.

You can also read more here about the project and see an infographic that highlights what your donation can do.

We urge you to put this badge on your website and let people know you're involved in the relief effort.

Be The Change, Adopt A Pet: What To Know About Shelterstag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a0120a678c547970b019b00fc9d07970d2013-11-13T05:30:00-07:002013-11-12T09:32:44-07:00Post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess You've seen the ASPCA commercials. The dogs and cats in kennels staring through the bars with sad and yearning gazes. When watching those I am hard pressed to not leap off the couch and run to my local shelter and adopt all of the...BlogPaws Team

You've seen the ASPCA commercials. The dogs and cats in kennels staring through the bars with sad and yearning gazes. When watching those I am hard pressed to not leap off the couch and run to my local shelter and adopt all of the pets that are there. That is unrealistic though, but when I am adding to my fur-family I do turn to the local shelter first.

When you've decided that the time is right to expand your fur-family you need to decide the size, breed
and species you want to adopt. Once you've made your decision, you can begin researching which shelters in your area have the type of pet you're seeking.

As in any industry there are good and bad shelter situations and you need to go into adoption with your eyes wide open. If, however, this is your first time researching adoption from a shelter, here are a few tips for your consideration:

What kind of shelter do you want to adopt from? A 501c3 (charitable entity) a low-kill, no-kill or high-kill shelter.

Check out the shelter's website and social media pages. Don't let the lack of a website or social media presence turn you away from them, though. Social media and web site management may be luxuries your local shelter simply cannot afford (Editor's note: Continue reading to see how you can help your local shelter)

Spend some time at the shelter. When you walk in you will immediately notice whether it's clean and well-maintained. If your senses are assailed by the stench of urine and feces it could mean potential health issues for the animals housed there. Even if the shelter is operating on an austere budget, cleanliness should not be a back-burner item. The care of the animals should always be paramount and that means clean kennels.

Take a walk through the kennels. If you're not allowed in the kennel area that could raise red-flags. You should be allowed to observe the animals in their kennels. Remember, though that any aggressive or compulsive behaviors a dog or cat exhibits in a kennel or shelter situation may go away once he is in a loving home environment. Shelters are stressful settings for pets, especially those that may have been raised in a home and all of a sudden find themselves in unfamiliar situations surrounded by strangers and missing their families. There are some behaviors though that may not go away once you have taken the dog or cat home. You will want to ask the shelter its "return" policy. Even though it may be heartbreaking to have to return a pet, it may be in the best interests of all concerned if it simply isn't working out.

Does the shelter partner with any local veterinarian with whom you can visit? Are you adopting a pet that has been spayed or neutered? If not, what is the shelter's policy on that and do they offer any discounts on the procedure as an incentive to make certain it is addressed. Many shelters work with a local vet that provides a reduced rate for spaying and neutering. It is crucial to spay and neuter your pets.

How are you treated by the shelter personnel? We'd like to believe that those who work at shelters truly love what they do and their love of animals will translate to their being friendly and welcoming to a potential pet parent. They may be harried and busy, but their ultimate goal should be to place the animals in their care into loving, forever homes.

Are there any toys in the kennels that the animals can play with? Are the kennels clean? Do they have beds to lie on or are they forced to lie on concrete or the cage floors?

Once you've made your decision and completed the paperwork necessary to adopt your fur-baby you've taken a step in being the change for a pet. What can you do to further that change and potentially impact even more pets? Here are some of my thoughts:

Do you have the skills to set up or manage a website. Can you offer social media support? If so, make the offer and help the shelter have a more vibrant internet presence.

When you're grocery shopping, is it possible to pick up a few items a week that the shelter has on its wish list? While cash donations are always welcome, many shelters would love to have donations of food, blankets, paper towels or other cleaning supplies. Ask what they need.

Do you have time to become an on site volunteer? Maybe you could clean cages or litter boxes, walk the dogs or spend time interacting with them so they don't have to be continually locked in their kennels.

Are you a shutter bug? If so, offer to take "glamour shots" of the animals to post on their website, Instagram, Pinterest or Facebook accounts. If people can see the adoptable pets, they are more likely to find homes.

What can you do today to help your local shelter?

Actress Alyssa Milano & SoCal Animal Rescue Save Dog Raised For Slaughter In South Koreatag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a0120a678c547970b019b00fd21f8970d2013-11-12T14:45:54-07:002013-11-12T14:45:54-07:00From The Editor's Desk: This story broke our hearts when we first saw and it through the compassion of actress Alyssa Milano and the SoCal Animal Rescue Bomi's life was spared. In a press release it was noted that: "A Southern California animal rescue organization, The Fuzzy Pet Foundation -...BlogPaws Team

From The Editor's Desk:

This story broke our hearts when we first saw and it through the compassion of actress Alyssa Milano and the SoCal Animal Rescue Bomi's life was spared.

In a press release it was noted that: "A Southern California animal rescue organization, The Fuzzy Pet Foundation - (TFPF), is flying a Jindo dog from Seoul, South Korea to Los Angeles, CA where she will be given a new lease on life.

Good Samaritans in South Korea named this dog, 'Bomi,' which is derived from the word "spring" in Korean. Bomi had been badly abused and neglected by her 'owners.' She had been raised for dog-meat slaughter. She had been tightly chained up to a metal pole and her body was covered with mange and open sores. It was also discovered that Bomi had been bred several times; her puppies were found completely frozen and dead in the dirt.

"For many months, TFPF worked hard to make arrangements for Bomi's rescue. We wanted to make sure we could provide Bomi with top-notch veterinary care, and secure her a lifelong home," says Sheila Choi, Founder and CEO of The Fuzzy Pet Foundation. "We wanted to have a proper plan in place so that we were not just naively flying an animal to a different country amid the animal overpopulation crisis happening everywhere in the world."

Bomi will soon be available for adoption. Inquiries can be e-mailed to info@tfpf.org.

"I am thrilled to have brought Bomi to safety, and look forward to the day she finally gets adopted to a forever home," says actress Alyssa Milano. "My heart goes out to the countless other dogs and cats who are suffering from animal abuse, struggling to survive on the streets, or waiting in animal shelters for a quality home."

Puppycide: Dogs Dying At The Hands Of Law Enforcementtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a0120a678c547970b019b00bbe99e970c2013-11-08T05:30:00-07:002013-11-08T05:30:00-07:00Chances are you've heard it on the news: Another dog shot and killed or maimed by law enforcement. The pet owners say their dogs were not aggressive, law enforcement officials tell a different story and say they are shooting dogs out of self defense. We all know that our dogs...BlogPaws Team

Chances are you've heard it on the news: Another dog shot and killed or maimed by law enforcement. The
pet owners say their dogs were not aggressive, law enforcement officials tell a different story and say they are shooting dogs out of self defense.

We all know that our dogs behave differently in different situations, but is shooting a dog an extreme measure? Should police officers receive training in how to handle situations where dogs are involved?